2026 Vol.2

Multidisciplinary Interpretation of New Quality Productive Forces

New Quality Productive Forces Empowerment: Mechanism Analysis of Internet Medium Promoting Urban Renewal

Abstract: From the perspective of empowerment by new quality productive forces, this paper analyzes how internet medium drives urban renewal by reconstructing productive factors. Taking three districts in Nanjing as cases, namely Yihe Road, Cha’nan-Nanhu and Xiaoxihu, this study focuses on the reconstruction mechanism of three core elements: laborers, means of labor, and objects of labor. The findings show that internet medium mainly functions in three aspects of urban renewal: online social interaction, marketing, and display platforms upgrade the means of labor, empowering the activation of historical districts; decentralized content production expands laborers, driving the joint participation of internet users, implementers, and social platforms in the spatial iteration of old commercial blocks; online-offline interaction extends the objects of labor to new spatial formats, community relations, and virtual communities, leading the governance renewal of old residential areas.

Multi-Agent Behavior Simulation Empowering Full-Path Urban Design Analysis from the Perspective of New Quality Productive Forces

Abstract: Traditional urban design, relying on static blueprints and experiential judgment, faces challenges in addressing the dynamic transformations and diverse demands of contemporary urban development. This necessitates the introduction of new quality productive forces, characterized by technology-driven approaches, data support, and efficient collaboration, to enable scientific decision-making and digitally intelligent governance. Multi-agent behavior simulation (MABS) captures the dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments and establishes a five-stage optimization framework, comprising data acquisition, interaction mechanism extraction, simulation modeling, dynamic simulation output, and design optimization. This method promotes the integration of research, practice, and education in urban design. At the research level, it reveals the dynamic coupling between space and behavior while expanding application scenarios; at the practical level, it enhances decisionmaking efficiency through a closed-loop process of “simulation–diagnosis–prediction–verification”; and at the educational level, it establishes an evidence-based pedagogical framework integrating “experience + practice + simulation + verification”. Overall, by enabling intelligent simulation, comprehensive diagnosis, and precise prediction, MABS facilitates the transformation of urban design from experience-driven to data-driven approaches and from static blueprints to dynamic simulation, providing essential methodological support for the refined and digitally intelligent governance of urban spaces.

Legal Safeguards for the Development of New Quality Productive Forces through Strategic Planning

Abstract: The development of new quality productive forces hinges on the agglomeration of industrial talent, technology, and capital, necessitating adaptive urban spatial planning frameworks that demand responsive legal reforms. As data, information, and virtual space increasingly constitute critical objects of productivity, urban spatial planning must extend into emerging domains such as digital space and low-altitude airspace. This calls for optimizing institutional arrangements for the formulation and approval of specialized plans in these fields, strengthening coordination between planning authorities and sectoral regulators, and enhancing the capacity to supply spatial configurations tailored to the application scenarios of new quality productive forces. Simultaneously, the growing demand for mixed land-use patterns in industrial spaces requires establishing mechanisms for conditional conversion or mixed designation of industrial land uses under a clearly defined primary functional framework. Furthermore, to meet the high-quality and diversified demands of industries and talent for public services and spatial environments, existing buildings require functional repurposing, which in turn demands a planning adjustment mechanism aligned with building function conversion and mixed-use requirements, alongside optimized stakeholder consultation procedures, to operationalize responsive governance under the rule of law.

Policy Shaping and Technological Connectivity of Innovation Spaces: A Case Study of Waizao Village in Shanghai

Abstract: Population, space, and density constitute the primary characteristics of a city, a feature particularly pronounced in the central urban areas of megacities. Simultaneously, due to the agglomeration of resources in megacities, distinct industrial distributions and spatial differentiations typically emerge between urban and suburban areas. Leveraging the policy tilt associated with new town development, resources from some central urban areas rapidly flow to outer suburbs, leading to the relative decline of the boundaries between the central city and suburban new towns. Under the shaping force of science and innovation policies, the urban-rural relationship in megacities has achieved a new spatial shift. During Shanghai’s “Five Centers” development process, the construction of the science and innovation center exhibits weaker dependence on geographical conditions, thereby fostering a spatial reshaping that transcends the urban-rural divide. This provides opportunities for villages located in peri-urban areas to emerge. By introducing science and innovation projects, Waizao Village has functionally reshaped its rural space. Through necessary policy guidance, it attracts the influx of talent, capital, and technology from both central urban areas and suburban new towns. Relying on the entry and development of technological platforms such as science and innovation enterprises, it uses new quality productive forces to promote the reproduction of new urban and rural spaces.

Quality of Place Empowers New Quality Productive Forces: Mechanisms and Pathways of Urban Renewal from the Perspective of Creative Talents

Abstract: Innovation is the core driver of new quality productive forces, with creative talents serving as the key carrier. From the perspective of creative talents, this study constructs an analytical framework of “creative talent–quality of place–urban renewal–new quality productive forces” to examine the mechanisms through which urban renewal enhances quality of place and promotes the development of new quality productive forces. The findings indicate that creative talents tend to concentrate in high-quality urban environments characterized by cultural diversity, inclusive social atmosphere, high-quality public services, and abundant “third places.” Urban renewal should therefore move beyond physical space transformation toward the integrated renewal of both physical and social spaces. Key strategies include the development of innovation districts, the creation of high-attachment third places, the cultivation of inclusive sociocultural environments, and the establishment of internationally oriented service communities. Taking Shanghai as a case study, this paper further illustrates the practical pathways of these strategies and proposes planning implications for fostering new quality productive forces. This study provides practical implications for urban planning and governance in the context of high-quality development.

Urban Environment Construction for Future Industries: A Framework from the Perspective of Innovation-Friendly Environments

Abstract: Future industries are key drivers for implementing innovation-driven strategies and enhancing urban competitiveness, built upon the foundation of disruptive technologies. Technological innovation in future industries encompasses both material production technology and service production technology, featuring distinct innovation types and unique innovation environments. For urban environments oriented toward future industries, the primary task is therefore to establish a technology-innovation-friendly environment, which is a critical determinant in promoting disruptive technological innovation and the development of future industries. Considering the current state of China’s urban development, this paper puts forward the following policy recommendations: cultivating place-based quality that attracts creative talent, fostering and expanding frontier knowledge creation communities, increasing investment in major science and technology infrastructure to support applied research, and comprehensively creating a “tropical rainforest-style” entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Study on Enhancing the Communication of Shanghai’s City Brand Image Empowered by Immersive Technologies

Abstract: The development of an effective city brand image is pivotal in enhancing a city’s core competitiveness; however, existing literature offers limited guidance for the practice. This research concentrates on assessing the public perceptions of Shanghai’s city brand image, aiming to reveal perceptual differences between Shanghai and other major domestic and international cities through an online survey. It collected 579 valid responses to assess public perceptions of the brand images of 16 major domestic and international cities, including Shanghai. Cross-sectional comparative analyses were conducted using perceptual maps. The results indicate that Shanghai excels in economic development and international influence but exhibits relatively weaker historical and cultural value as well as tourism appeal. Furthermore, respondents’ level of familiarity with the cities significantly influences their brand perceptions. Drawing upon the survey results, we advocate for the adoption of cuttingedge immersive technologies to construct an integrated city brand experience. By harnessing multisensory interactions, immersive technologies help deepen public recognition and identification with Shanghai, thereby systematically enhancing the effectiveness of Shanghai’s city brand image.